Inhalation of smoke and toxic fumes in the event of onboard fire in aircraft is a serious threat to passengers. The oxygen masks provided on airplanes offer protection only for decompression. Similarly, fire in high rise buildings is of great concern, because of the difficulty of escape and exposure to smoke and toxic fumes.
A variety of protective hoods have previously been proposed to alleviate this problem, including those described and claimed in Werjefelt, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,440,164 and 4,627,431. A preferred material for construction of the Werjefelt hoods is polyimide film, which provides outstanding resistance to heat. However, continuing needs with regard to these hoods include a reduction in the internal noise level associated with the polyimide film and the provision of a neck seal having even greater adaptability and reliability than those previously used. Other improvements which have been sought include tear resistance, ease of manufacture, and resistance of the surface of the hoods to etching when exposed to the products of combustion.